Hodgson in a hurry as Bayliss hits pain barrier

Neil Hodgson scorched to pole position for this afternoon's 10th round of the World Superbike Championship with the fastest ever lap at Brands Hatch yesterday.

It was a dramatic qualifying day, with the reigning champion and dominant series leader, Troy Bayliss, bouncing back from a heavy crash to qualify fourth fastest.

The Australian, already sore from a tumble during practice from the previous round in the United States two weeks ago, was fearing the worst as he touched his team-mate, Ruben Xaus, as they sped into the Druids Hairpin in the first minute of the morning qualifying session.

Xaus, who was weaving somewhat, warming the tyres of his Infostrada Ducati, moved slightly to the left as Bayliss, on the charge, was looking to overtake him, but he clipped the Spaniard's left foot, ran wide onto the grass and was then thrown from his machine. He slid along the barrier, bouncing off it, and was then hit by his own machine.

Remarkably, despite breaking a rib and taking a real bruising, Bayliss was declared fit to resume the action and, with a timely pain-killing injection, took to the circuit for the afternoon's one-hour free practice session, during which he chalked up 29 gruelling laps, setting the third fastest time in that session.

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Bayliss, who had been fastest in Friday's qualifying, but seventh overall after the crash ruled him out of the second session, was back on the case and able to take part in the grid-deciding session which he did to good effect, clawing his way up the leaderboard with a determined, brave single lap against the clock of 1min 26.801sec.

It was not enough to give the winner of all but four of the 18 races so far - in which time he has built up a 53-point advantage over former champion Colin Edwards - a fifth pole start, but all things considered he was well satisfied to be on the front row.

His heroics, however, paled into insignificance to the massed ranks of sun-drenched fans on the grassy bankings as Hodgson, the former British champion, powered his HM Plant Ducati out on the circuit for his flying lap. Second fastest on combined times to Edwards, he was pumped up to go for broke.

Still without a win this season, but with fond memories of his success here two years ago as a 'wild-card' rider, the 28-year-old Lancastrian was inch-perfect around this demanding 2.62-mile circuit, becoming the fastest ever rider with an amazing lap of 1min 25.752sex, an average speed of 110.11mph.

It meant a second pole start of the year for Hodgson, who said: "We have changed the bike radically from the first day and now we have a great set-up for the races. I will be giving everything in them, I really want the wins here."